A Tribute to Karl

K9AQJ  died in June of this year.   I never knew him.  I never talked to him on the air.  I never once met him at a ham convention.  I still don't know what he looked like.   In July,  I had a chance to meet him posthumously.  

A couple of weeks ago,  I purchased a flat black Dentron antenna tuner off of Ebay.  The listing had  indicated it hhad come from the estate of a gentleman who took very good care of his equipment, and was a ham for many years.   I didn't think much of  the statement,  as most sellers on Ebay say this about radio equipment bought from  estates.  

The old tuner arrived.  It had been boxed well by the seller.  Styrofoam peanuts and padding had protected it from its journey from K9AQJ's home state of Illinois to my barren, soon-to-be-overdeveloped state of Arizona.  I pulled it from the static-charged peanuts which clung to the metal casing, and set it on the floor.  It was as clean as the day the last hex screw was set at the factory.  Not a ding could be found.  On the front, a bolt had replaced the lightening protection switch, which K9AQJ must have found he no longer needed at some time.  Above the bolt, the Dynamo stamped  eords, "COLLINS NETWORK" stood out.  Black on white lettering.  K9AQJ was proud of his Collins Network - I could tell.  In the upper left corner, his call letters were also stamped from a Dynamo.  These were smaller, and white on blue.  

An odd type of sadness came over me at that moment.  I can't describe it.  I realized that I had in my possession an antenna tuner that once belonged to a gentleman ham.  I stared at it for a few minutes,  feeling the dials and the casing, as if I could get some picture of K9AQJ: who he was and what he had accomplished in his life.  I could tell I wished I had known him.  

That evening, I went to QRZ.com to research his  callsign.  Nothing there. I decided to try their 1993 callsign database.  There he was:  K9AQJ.   Karl A. Kopetzky.  Chicago, Illinois.  Now a name was associated with the Dentron antenna tuner.  I went to Google.com and searched for anything that might give me an idea of who Karl Kopetzky was.  I found an article written in November of 2000 by Karl that described his long history in ham radio.  A history that begins in 1912 - when he was only 7 years old.  My mother hadn't even been conceived in that year.   I now realized that "a ham for many years" meant a good many years!  I learned he built his first kit in 1912.  That a physics professor helped him get his license, and how nervous he was the first time someone answered his CQ, and how elated he was when QST posted his callsign in the column "Signals Heard."    Karl was 95 years old when
he wrote the article.  88  years of radio.  He was 97 when he died.  Almost a century old, and most of the time he was on the radio, either listening or transmitting.  When I was in my mother's womb, Karl's signal could have passed right by me.  When I was in 5th grade,  Karl's signal probably floated right through my history classroom.  As I graduated from college, Karl's QSO must have been overhead.  Think about it.  

I finally met Karl through his article.  Written two years before his death, I met the old man through his own words.  A superb, well-written article indeed.  I will leave the link below for those who wish to read Karl's article.  I think all hams should read it.  It will make you feel young.   The wonder and imagination that we have lost in the 21st century can be relived through his words.  They are not arrogant, nor bragging, nor self-endulging.  They are simple and pure.    

Karl's last transmission isn't heard on Earth anymore.  It has most likely surpassed Pluto's orbit and is nearing open space.  That makes Karl immortal.  I guess all of us Hams will be immortalized if our signals manage to break through the ionosphere and fly free.   Somewhere at the edge of the universe, we will all gather. SSB, PSK, CW, RTTY, or even  HELL,  whatever mode we used at that time will merge at that spot.  Karl will be there too.  I never knew him, but I met him through his antenna
tuner.   I just thought someone would like to know Karl.  I take care of his tuner.  It sits right next to a mint Swan 500c.  I feel priviledged to own it.  Thanks, Karl.  Thanks for taking pride in your life, old man.  This 40 year old ham wishes he could have talked to you.  May you rest in infinite peace and have a 1 to 1 match on all your antennas, Mr. Kopetzky.  You are missed by those who never even knew you.    

K9AQJ de AC7RG  73 OM CUL SK DIT DIT

This is to all the hams who have left us    

* Karl's article is titled "The Glory that was Spark."  It is a PDF file from the link below. Thanks to the Metro Amateur Radio Club for preserving Karl's immortal words on their web site.

 

Amen.

 

Great story....there is no link as mentioned in the article.

--Jeffrey, K2MIT

 

Amen.  Touching story.  

Here is the link to the article mentioned: http://www.qsl.net/mac/articles.htm

-KC0LET

 

May Karl rest in peace . . .   wonderful article.

"The wonder and imagination that we have lost in the 21st century . . ."  is what I used to call the "mystique of radio."  Even when I got my start at age 12 in 1974, radio waves were still "magical."  My mother's friends would react with some awe when visiting and finding that I could communicate direct with far-away places.  Radio and TV were of course taken for granted by then, but I think the technology wasn't.  Now that every one has a beeper and cell phone in the pocket, and a satellite dish sucking the TV signals out of space, the mystique and magic is gone.  Gone forever.  

That, as much as the internet, is taking away from interest in hamming.  And there's no turning back.  I'm glad I was in it when it was still magical.

73,

Chris

 

I have never sought fame, nor a fortune, and always said that when I am gone... that I would like to be remembered for the things that I had done in my life... be they great or small.

We should all hope to be thought of as fondly as Karl is here in AC7RG's posting.


73

 

To posses a part of history like the antenna tuner described in the article would be a dream come true for me, however, it will come when my own father passes away. And I hope that will be a LONG time from now.
I immagine having it sit next to the swan, must be an amazing sight.
I cant help but to think, when I have a piece of equipment like that, will it be like my grandfathers table saw I given by my step father and mother after he passed on?
Every time I look at it, or use it it is done with much respect, to think of the care my grandfather must have taken with every cut made on that machine makes me slow down and do my best work, because the ancient tool and my grandfather deserve the best I can do. Will it be like that for me if I ever have such a well preserved piece of history? Will I be the best operator I can be out of respect? I think so.
I've only been a licensed ham for a little over ten years and have a degree in EE. Even though I know how the radio works and it is not such a mystery, "The wonder and imagination that we have lost in the 21st century . . ." will always be there for me, but in the people I contact... who will I talk to tommorrow? and what stories will they tell...
To me it's still a wonder, and that's why I enjoy it.
This was a well written column, the kind I really like to read.
May Karl and all of our silent keys rest in piece.

73, and CU on the air.

Arvin jr, aka N5ZKZ

 

here is a link to his artical it is the third one down on the page

http://www.qsl.net/mac/articles.htm
there are more then one link on this one

==================================

73

 

This is one of the best and most thought-provoking articles that I have read. It really does make one think about old radio gear; about who owned, cared for, and used it. Who they were, what they did, their passions, what got them interested in Amateur Radio, etc. It really made me think about all of the used gear that I looked at earlier today up at the Fort Tuthill Hamfest; there's a lot of history in the tailgate areas.



The history of Ham Radio is certainly a rich one. Hopefully we will all take the time to stop for a moment and think about our fellow Amateur Radio Operators in the way that AC7RG has. Right now I am reading a very interesting book titled, "Nostalgic Reminiscences of a Telegraph Operator" by William G. Gerlach, W6BG, ex 6GE, W6QQS. We can all learn a lot from these early Hams, that's for sure. May we honor them by remembering those who have now passed on, and by keeping our operating practices in accordance with theirs.



73 Clinton AB7RG

 

I recall the day i saw the K9AQJ listing on ebay. My first thought was of my old friend K9AQF now W9PY. He represented the  true spirit of ham radio Collins equipment able to fix his own gear always willing to help others. I was meerly a newly licensed "WB9". But i had the "spirit" the willingness to learn and the wanting to just be part of the mystique. WELL 34 years later i still have that same feeling. Having accomplished 340 countries being a past officer in a few different clubs the feeling is still there. AS one gentleman stated  its the people who make the  "mystique ".
      This hobby for some unaccountable reason has brought togather a very large number of very caring unselfish people irregardless of race financial statis or location. I can't think of many other things in life that have accomplished that task over the amount of years that ham radio has been in existance. I moved from Milwaukee to Sunrise ,FL 6 years ago and ham radio has opened the door to making many new friends in the community. I am very proud to be associated with this hobby and i'm very sad to see it changing from the way K9AQJ new it. Its up to each one of us to keep it in the light as we all know its supposed to be. The internet will never replace the wonders of ham radio it will only be a subsitute. It can't replace the feeling of building your first dipole and running in the house to check the SWR.
   Today i have the latest gear it does so much more than that Collins i referred to . But you know if i had to make a decision i think i'd keep the Collins and all the GREAT memories i have had through ham radio the past 32 years. Thanks for reading i rarely post but I just had to say thanks to K9AQJ and F for all the good things ham radio has brought me. 73 Ken Jankovich WN9AUK/WB9AUK/NO9F/K9VT

 

A very touching article. I am sure Karl is happy up there watching his tuner in action in the right hands!
May his soul rest in peace.
73
Sasi
9V1SM
http://www.dbs.nus.edu.sg/lab/reef/SasiNayar.htm

 

AMEN! REST IN PEACE KARL.


WE SHOULD ALL BE LIKE KARL, IT WOULD MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE


THANKS FOR WRITING THAT STORY, IT MAD MY DAY!

 

This is one of the best-written and thought-provoking articles I have read here recently. Thank you for sharing it with us. Let us all do our best to make sure the "mistique" lives on for years to come.
73, Jeff KC8NRP

 

This is by far, the most thoughtful, well written article I have ever read on QRZ.

--Terry

 

Thanks for the research you acomplished to tell us about such a remarkable man. Hope the old tuner fills many happy moments for you and yours! 73's, K4WGT